The Douglas County 2020 Master Plan was recognized with the Outstanding Rural Plan/Project award by the Nevada chapter of the American Planning Association, county staff told the Douglas County Planning Commission during its Dec. 14 meeting.

Sam Booth, deputy director of community development, said the county submitted the plan to the state APA and received a written judges’ comment praising the document’s quality, the connection between broad issues and specific recommended actions, and the community outreach that informed the plan. Booth summarized the plan’s development process: initial work in 2016–17, renewed community outreach and workshops in 2019, public workshops both in-person and online during 2020, and final approval by the Board of County Commissioners in December 2020.

Commissioners and members of the public thanked staff and the many people who participated in the multi-year update. Lorenzo Mastino, county senior planner, and others on staff were noted by commissioners for their roles in drafting and public engagement. Several planning commissioners emphasized the length and breadth of public involvement and praised staff for coordinating the process.

The award and judges’ comments were included in the commission packet; staff displayed a plaque during the meeting and encouraged commissioners to view the award at the Community Development office.